Boys hospitalized after bounce house incident

ALBANY N.Y. — Two boys injured in Monday’s bouncy house incident are listed in stable condition at Albany Medical Center.

Both victims were flown to Albany Medical Center from South Glens Falls, and one boy remains in an induced coma.

Police say one girl and the two boys were playing in a Little Tikes Jump and Slide Bounce House when a gust of wind yanked it at least 20 feet off the ground.

Officials say the girl suffered minor scrapes and bruises, but the two boys had serious injuries, including head trauma.

The South Glens Falls school district has confirmed the boys are kindergarten students at Harrison Avenue Elementary.

Neighbors say the owner of the bounce house had the inflatable toy for years and always properly secured it to the ground. It is believed the owner of the bounce house will not be facing criminal charges, as police are calling this a freak accident.

Little Tikes released the following statement regarding the accident:

“Providing safe and wholesome place experiences is of utmost importance to Little Tikes. We are looking into what happened in South Glens Falls. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with the children and their families.”

Doctor Clifford Erickson of Albany Memorial Hospital says he tends to see more head injuries in the summer time, especially with the increase in playtime outside for children. But he says parents can take some simple measures to prevent a trip to the ER.

“Head injuries come in a variety of favors. You can simply have a small bump on the head with a little bruise that has no involvement with the brain or all the way up to a traumatic brain injury or bleeding in the brain,” he said.

Dr. Erickson says you can’t predict a freak accident, but there are safety measures people can take to prevent a head injury.

“Things like bicycle injuries and skateboard, scooters, and rollerblading –anything where a child is on a set of wheels they really should be wearing a helmet. Obviously helmets for horseback riding or any sort of power outdoor equipment. Even though they look small, they have a lot of power behind it,” he said.

In general, Dr. Erickson says children tend to recover a little bit better than adults when it comes to brain injuries, but it all depends on the circumstances surrounding each case.